Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming system including same

Abstract

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, conveying members, a switching unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The sheet conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path having a conveying load for a sheet larger than the first conveying path. The switching unit selectively switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path. The control unit determines whether the sheets are first sheets or second sheets thicker than the first sheets, based on sheet thickness information received by the receiving unit. If the sheets are the first sheets, the switching unit switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path alternately. If the sheets are the second sheets, the switching unit switches to fix the sheet conveying path to the first conveying path.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sheet conveying apparatus comprising:
 a sheet conveying path including a first conveying path, and a second conveying path that is disposed in parallel to each other, the second conveying path having a conveying load for a sheet larger than the first conveying path; 
 conveying members disposed along the sheet conveying path so as to convey the sheet; 
 a switching unit disposed at a branch part of the first conveying path and the second conveying path so as to selectively switch the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path; 
 a receiving unit configured to receive sheet thickness information; and 
 a control unit configured to control the conveying members and the switching unit on the basis of the sheet thickness information, wherein 
 the control unit determines whether the sheet is a first sheet or a second sheet thicker than the first sheet on the basis of the sheet thickness information, 
 when conveying the first sheets, the control unit controls the switching unit to switch the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path alternately for every sheet, and 
 when conveying the second sheets, the control unit controls the switching unit to fix the sheet conveying path to the first conveying path. 
 
     
     
       2. The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a conveying interval of the second sheets is set larger than the conveying interval of the first sheets. 
     
     
       3. The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first conveying path and the second conveying path respectively includes a first reverse unit and a second reverse unit, each of which performs switchback of the sheet so as to reverse an upside and a downside thereof, and 
 a curvature of a first switchback branch part of the first reverse unit is smaller than a curvature of a second switchback branch part of the second reverse unit, 
 the conveying load in the curvature of the second switchback branch part is heavier than in the curvature of the first switchback branch part. 
 
     
     
       4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first conveying path and the second conveying path respectively include a first correction unit and a second correction unit, each of which moves the sheet in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction so as to correct a width direction position of the sheet, and 
 a curvature of a first bypass conveying path via the first correction unit is smaller than a curvature of a second bypass conveying path via the second correction unit, 
 the conveying load in the curvature of the second bypass conveying path is heavier than in the curvature of the first bypass conveying pass. 
 
     
     
       5. The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second conveying path has a curvature larger than the first conveying path. 
     
     
       6. The sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second conveying path has a smaller clearance in a sheet thickness direction than the first conveying path. 
     
     
       7. An image forming system comprising:
 the sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 ; and 
 an image forming apparatus forming an image on the sheet, which is connected to the sheet conveying apparatus on an upstream side thereof in a sheet conveying direction so as to discharge the sheet formed the image to the sheet conveying apparatus. 
 
     
     
       8. The image forming system according to  claim 7 , further comprising a sheet post-processing apparatus connected to the sheet conveying apparatus on a downstream side thereof in the sheet conveying direction so as to perform predetermined post-processing on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying apparatus.